The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-08-19
LEGENDS ABOUT COWS.
Folklore Current Among the Peasants
YarIntta rarta OF Eurnne.

Folklore Current Among the Peasants In
Various Parts of Europe.
In Swabia and Switzerland the cows
are milked through n perforated stone
which is believed TO have fallen from
the clouds, and Is therefore called n
''cowstona." In speaking OF .bloody
milk" we may note here that this Il
supposed 10 be the result not only Of
witehcrnft, but Of quite different
eanse. Thus. In Yorkshire and some
| parts Of Germany, II robin IN killed IL
is Supposed ihatone of the cows belong
| ing 20 the person or to the family of the
person who killed it will give .'bloody
milk. {" The accuracy and truth Of the
following curious circumstance Ia al
legged TO have recently been youched
for: A young woman, who had been
| living ns a servant in a farmhouse. one
| day told her relatives how the COW
which had belonged To her master had
given bloody milk. after one OF the fam
| lily bad killed a robin. A male cousin
81 hers. disbelleying the tale. went out
and shot n robin purposely. Next morn
/ ing her uncle's best cow. healthy one
of thirteen years. that had borne nine
calves without mishap, gave half n
canful of this bloody milk, and did
so for three days in succession. morning
and evening The liquid was Of pink
| color. which, after standing in the can,
became clearer. and when poured out
the "blood." or the deep red something
| like IL, was seen TO have settled to- the
bottom. The young man who shot the
] ~ La l..
second morning. he being still incredu-
lous. The farmer was sent for. and the
matter furnished talk 10 tho whole viii
t lage. Formerly Mt Walton-le-dale. En-
gland. IL farmer killed swallow II
was believed that his cows would yield
! bl 49, stead of milk. This supersti-
ton - also prevalent In the greater
part OF Switzerland. On this account
few ike to kill or even injure n robin
redbreast.
Like the horse. the cow enters into
fairy lore. According to n legend cur
rent In Carmarthenshire. Wales. there
was in days gone by n band Of elfin
| ladies. who used TO haunt lake in the
the peighborhood of Aberdoyey. They
usually appeared at dusk. clad in green.
accompanied by their milk-white
hounds and their droves Of beautiful
white cows. One day an old farmer
bad the good luck 10 catch one Of these
mystic animals. 1t had fallen in love
with the cattle of his herd. From that
day the farmers fortune was made.
Such calves. such milk. such butter and
such cheese that came from the milk
| white cow had never been seen in
| Wales before. The farmer accordingly
soon became rich and the owner of vast
herds. One day, however. he took il
into his head that the elfin COW was
growing old and that he had better fati
ten her for the market. On the day ap.
pointed for the slaughter people came
from great distances To see the wonder
ful animal; and "a the butchers biud-
geon was severing its head from its
| body fearful shrek resounded through
the mir. and the astonished assembly be-
held green lady. crying with n loud
| voice:
! Come. yellow anvil stray horns
speekled one of the lake.
And OF the hornless Dodln,
Arise. come homer
Whercupon not only did the elfin cow
arise aud go home. but all her progeny
went with her, disappearing in the air
over the hill tops. Only one cow re-
maiued Of all the farmers herds. and,
10! she had turned from milky-whitc to
raven black. The farmer. in a fit OF
despair. drowned himself. and the black
ow became the progenitor of the ex-
isting race of Welsh black cattle CWirt
Skies British Goblins. 1879, page 81. }
A similar story exists in ireland
called The Legend of Lough Cur" II
seems that certain farmer had some
meadow land by the water side; but. in
spite of all his efforts. the grass was al.
ways destroyed. Driven at last to des-
peration. he consulted one of his friends,
who advised him to watch his land by
nighttime. in the chance of discovering
lks secret enemy. Accordingly the
farmer, with his friend and his two sons
one moonlight night silently watched
at n corner of the meadow. They had
not waited long whoa, moving on the sur
face of the lake toward the meadow. they
saw great fat COW followed by sever
milk white hcifers. On giving chase
TO lneSe the COW suuutniN disappeared
in the lake. but the seven heifers werf
successfully driven up from the water
side. The farmer took possession o
these; but one night the gate of the
field being left open, they disappeared
and it was generally supposed that they
had made their way into the lake again
There is lake in County Tipperary
called The Lake of the Cow" from
legend somewhat similar to that o
Lough Cur. Tile horns of the COW ar,
said To be so long that, when the water
is low. the tips of them may be plainl,
I seen above it. Although. too, the popu
lar song Informs us that the Lake o
Blarney is
stored with perches,
And comely eels in the verdant mud.
Besides good leeches and groves OF beeches
All ranged in order for TO guard the flood,
vet out of this lake two cows have beel
seen to proceed. which are known, ac
cording To Crooker's Fairy Legends o
the south of Ireland, to have committe,
considerable damage in the adjacen
meadow-lands and corn fields.-N @
Times Democrat.
.
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